Moving forward I have found an amazing site where you can upload all your content into a practical app that anybody can download scanning a QC Code or you can Click from your mobile phone to install it.Hope you like it and please send me your comments and request to learn more about Guatemala and the Latinamerican culture :)

In Guatemala, we celebrate Christmas eve more than tomorrow, Christmas day, like in England.We start on the 7th with Burning of the devil, the Dec 12th celebrating Virgen of Guadalupe and all throughout we do traditional posadas as you can see in the photos below.In England it is tradition to write Christmas cards to all your acquaintances and have a kiss under the mistletoeThe big celebration is on Dec 25th where all family and friends get together.Santa Claus is called Father Christmas in Englandand Boxing day is to drink and eat leftover, where in Guatemala I remember always looking at the cinema premier. I hope you like the photos about celebrations all around.Feliz Navidad!

Today we are celebrating 192 years since Guatemala declared independence from Spain. But it is not only my country the one celebrating. All of Central America used to be one confederation: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

After 229 years of Spanish domain, you can still find Spanish legacy all around: from language, religion, food and family traditions.

This month a torch of freedom will travel from Guatemala all the way to Costa Rica and it will be carried by thousands of central Americans with pride and honour

Where is Central America? Photo by Wikipedia

7 Countries of Central America were a confederation

High school students do a traditional parade for Independence day in Guatemala

Guatemalan president today at the Independence festivities in Guatemala city.

There is so many interesting fact about Guatemala, but I tried to sort out the 10 most interesting from a British point of view. Please do leave me some comments and any other topics you might want to learn about the Country of Eternal Spring. Enjoy!

1. Even bank notes are colourful in Guatemala

Colourful money & national bird

Here you see green is Q1.00, Purple is Q5.00, pink is Q10.00, Blue is Q20.00, Orange is Q50.00 and brown is Q100.00. Each has a president or a predominant figure imprinted in it.

One British pound is 12 "Quetzales" and you can buy lunch with £1.00 in Guatemala! :)

2. Seven of the 33 volcanoes in Guatemala are active.

Pacaya volcano erupting near Guatemala City releasing ash and smoke in March 2014.

Pacaya volcano is twice as high as Ben Nevis

Pacaya volcano is only the 16th tallest volcano in Guatemala, the tallest one is Tajumulco with 4,220 mts which is over 3 times the height of Ben Nevis!

3. Guatemala produces more jade than anywhere in the world

The Mayans believed Jade was their holy stone & that it cured kidney disease.

The Maya used jade as a symbol of good luck and health.

The term Jade was created by the spanish conquistadors when they learned the natives in Mesoamerica used jade to cure kidney diseases. They called it “piedra de ijada” or “stone of the loines”. With time it became known as “Jade”.Jade is found in Guatemala in all shades of green, lavender , black, “gold jade”, translucent white or “moon jade”, various other translucent jades like “princess jade”, “jade azul”, “lavender jade”, “jade gema” and “imperial jade”.All in all we distinguish about 25 different colours.

4. Starwars Episode IV was filmed in Guatemala

"We are approaching the planet Yavin. The Rebel base is on a moon on the far side. We are preparing to orbit the planet."―Death Star intercom voice to Wilhuff Tarkin

Tikal (or Tik’al, according to the more current orthography) is one of the largest of the ancient ruined cities of the Maya civilization . It is located in the El Petén department of Guatemala . It was used as a filming location for Yavin 4 in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

5. First chocolate bar was created by the Mayans

The Maya and the Ka'kau' (Cacao)

Cacao is "The food of Gods"

The great Mayan civilization was from 1500 B.C. to 1500 A.C. and they were probably the first chocoholics of the world.They consumed chocolate by first harvesting the seeds -- or beans -- from cacao trees. They fermented and dried them, roasted them, removed their shells, and ground them into paste. They often combined this paste with water, cornmeal, chili peppers, and other spices, then poured the spicy, bitter mixture back and forth between two containers to create a frothy head. Coco beans were so important in the Mayan civilization that they were used as currency.

6. Guatemala is the 5th banana exporter in the world

Guatemala produced 4,380,000 tons of bananas in 2013

Guatemala accounts for 7% of world banana exports, making it the 5th largest banana-exporting country in the world behind Ecuador, Costa Rica, Philippines, and Colombia.About 35,000 hectares (135 sq. miles) of Guatemalan land is used solely for banana production.The United States is the largest importer of Guatemalan bananas and plantains.

7. The Happy Meal was invented in Guatemala

The Happy Meal was invented by a Guatemalan in 1970's

She was a young housewife, when a savvy franchise owner in Guatemala, Yolanda Fernández de Cofiño, came up with the idea in the mid-70s to make kid sized meals .She got the "Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World" recognition in Paris, France. Now, 'Happy Meal' is part of McDonalds menu in over 35,000 restaurants and has sold about 100 million Happy Meals in one week.

8. Guatemala is Starbucks main coffee supplier

"Antigua may be to coffee what the regions of Burgundy and Champagne are to wine." Starbucks

High Altitude and volcanic ashes makes great soil conditions to create the best coffee in the world!It is refined, spiced with subtle cocoa-like textures!Try it today!

9. Guatemala has 23 different languages besides Spanish

Guatemala is mutli-cultural and plurilingue

There are over twenty three indigenous languages spoken throughout Guatemala. Because of this, many newspapers and businesses find it difficult to communicate with many older indigenous people. Spanish is spoken as a first or second language by approximately 90% of the population.

10. "Guatemala" means "place of many trees"

There are over 2,300 species and varieties of trees in Guatemala.

"Guatemala" comes from Nahuatl "Cuauhtēmallān" which means "Place of Many Trees". Guatemala has a unique mixture of temperate and tropical elements. Connected to the north by cold mountain ranges and to the south by lowlands with hot, tropical influences.It has a mosaic of ecological characteristics, with a wide variation in rainfall and drought, temperatures and soils, result in an extremely diverse species list.

Palm Sunday or Domingo de Ramos is celebrated in Guatemala in a very colorful way.Mayan people do this Palm bunches from the corozo plant and it smells delicious.Lent is a very active period in all towns in Guatemala and as you can see here everybody likes to get involved. From making hand made sawdust carpets, to carrying the processions.I just wanted to share here in England how is life transformed in my dear country Guatemala.Hope you enjoy the photos :)

This is your last chance to vote for the most beautiful ruins in Mesoamerica.

#Tikal is the city of echoes and it deserves international recognition. The Mayans were a great civilization, they were the best engineers in the world (invented the aqueducts, calculated the most accurate solar calendar and studied astronomy in #Guatemala)

Why should you vote for Tikal? Because it is is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization and it stands tall and proud today!

This Saturday 15 of June will be organizing a Latin Experience in Weston Super Mare!Join us for a for a Make-your-own taco lunch with latin music and Spanish conversation.Tell your friends and have fun together!Special introductory price £5.00Call me to reserve your space today! Patty 07401814481

Five billion people can’t use the Internet. Aleph Molinari empowers the digitally excluded by giving them access to computers and the know-how to use them.

In Guatemala that is no exception and a non profit ofganization, LICHUTAM, is looking for functional laptops to help the children learn.If you have an old computer, don't trow it away, we can pick up computers in France, Germany, UK, and of course Guatemala! Please Share this page if you have IT/computer friendly friends!

I was pleased to read this morning about this article by Lonely Planet:Tikal is #1 of the "10 Best Things to Climb in the world!"They researched over 1,000 ultimate experiences and Tikal came out #1!!!!Followed by Namibia, Argentina, Scotland, Hawaii, Siria, Peru, India, Australia and Kilimanjaro in Tanzania!!!

wow, so if you live in Guatemala or never been there, take 2013 to put Tikal in your #1 list of wish travelling and make it happen!

I did the sunrise tour, woke up at 3 am and seen the perfect sun raising from the Jungle as howling monkeys woke up to start the most amazing jungle concert I have ever imagined. I can still picture all our group sitting on Temple VI feeling the amazing energy of the Mayan civilization and speechless for the natural richness that surrounded us.

See the full article in:http://www.lonelyplanet.com/guatemala/travel-tips-and-articles/76630

Author

Born in the country of "Eternal Spring". Traveller and CS at heart. Want to share my In love for Guatemala through travel experiences, food, events, articles & more!I lived in Brazil and Canada before relocating in England in 2009.